My bunny is 2 years old, has not been eating for 1 week, however I've been giving h2o, pineapple juice,and yoqurt by syringe every 2-3 hours. She is not pooping at all, will this go away soon?
Optional Information: Age: 2; Female; Breed: lop ear rabbitAlready Tried: vet, syringe of h2o,pineapple,yoqurt
Hello- I don't think this problem will go away.
Rabbits shouldn't be left for longer than 12-24 hours of not eating. Try vegetable baby food syringed in so you know she is getting some nutrients. When they stop eating their guts stop working and they can die very quickly. I'm very worried she hasn't passed any faeces- she may be constipated or it just may be the fact that there isn't any food going through her.
The reason she isn't eating needs to be rectified, it could be her teeth- rabbits are prone to the molars- back teeth overgrowing and forming needlelike spikes on them. This makes it too painful for them to eat solids she would need sedation and the teeth would need clipping and filing down. Again it may be constipation and is backed up and doesn't want to eat. There may be a tumor or under-lying illness thats stopping her from wanting to eat. She urgently needs veterinary treatment- I would think she is only alive because you have been giving her water and so on. Don't give her juice and yogurt any more- as I said a vegetable baby food will be more nutritious but not enough long term. See a vet today.
Let me know the outcome.
Experience: Qualified Veterinary Nurse, Qualified Veterinary Nurse Assessor, Pet Health Nutritionist
Reply to Jemma's Post: First we saw a vet, they gave her a shot for a laxative and we also have lactobacillus tabs that we crush and give it to her in pineapple juice. They gave her Iv fluids, took x-rays and found nothing but saw some pellets in her track,she does urinate once or twice a day.
Did he look at her teeth? What were the x-rays of?
Does she seem hungry when your giving her the juice?
Yes he looked at her teeth, everything except the head. yes on the hungry
Do you know if he examined the back teeth? He would need a tool to check these - it just sounds like its his back teeth, any problem that stops him eating would be because he didn't feel like eating. The fact he seems hungry would indicate something is stopping him eating. Can you get some baby food to feed him?
The vet should have given you some powdered feed. Do you know if the vet specialises in rabbits?
They did put a devise in her mouth to see the teeth, don't know if they looked at the back teeth very close or not, we'll get the baby food in her now. The vet didn't give any powdered food, but they do see rabbits don't know if it is their specialty.
Try the food so you know that she is getting some solids- this isn't a permanant solution but is better than what she has been having. I would be interested to see if she passes faeces after feeding. See how she takes the food- i.e. if she is greedy for it. Feed her as much as she wants. Try her with veg/ fruit and see if she can manage small pieces of her favourite foods. Get back to me about how she eats.
Ok Jemma we'll try and let you know